


And You Don't Have A Say

by ShippingEverything



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Ableism, Gen, Gender-Neutral Runner Five, Mute Runner Five, POV Second Person, The ableism might be a smokescreen for not wanting five around but its still rude, i havent written a Pure gen fic in a Long while
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 04:45:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16361081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShippingEverything/pseuds/ShippingEverything
Summary: Amelia makes assumptions, Five can communicate just fine, thanks, and Jody is protective





	And You Don't Have A Say

**Author's Note:**

> my name is lydia and i make content For Myself 
> 
> im mid season 3 so idk if like, im wildly misrepresenting amelia or smth, but im Currently very angry at her and i thought of this while i was running today so shrug here y'all go. uhhh BSL is british sign language, ASL is the american variant, i don't think there's anything else that needs explanation? general ableism tw over all of this bc amelia does imply that five cant communicate "efficiently" or "precisely" because they're mute. title from MisterWives's _Not Your Way_
> 
> please enjoy

“Have you thought on it?” Jody asks as soon as you’re back in Abel’s gates, grabbing your arm loosely. You tilt your head to the side in question and she elaborates. “About being our head of runners.”

You have, but you’re still not sure what you want. You reach your arms above your head and stretch out your back a bit to stall from answering. Eventually, you sign, “ **It was an unexpected offer.** ”

Jody laughs. “To you, maybe. It was obvious to the rest of us, I only got asked as a formality”

“Oh, are you talking about the head of runners position?” Amelia Spens interrupts. “I didn’t say anything out in the field, mostly because I know Samuel can be rather… _touchy_ when Runner Five is involved, but I wanted to ask if you had all really thought this through.”

Jody squints at Amelia. “I mean, yeah. Of course we have, otherwise we wouldn’t’ve asked. Five was always the second choice after Eight.”

“Right,” Amelia says, but something in her eyes looks condescending. “I was just asking because the head of runners needs to be able to communicate efficiently with myself and other highly ranked officers, and your Runner Five…”

Amelia trails off, looking at you like she’s just realized that you’re a real person, _right there_ and listening to her talk around your muteness. You roll your eyes, used to this kind of thing, but Jody squares her shoulders, upset on your behalf. You sign “ **It’s fine,** ” to try and calm her down; you’re barely even sure that you _want_ to be head of runners, it doesn’t bother you that Amelia is talking down about your potential abilities because she has some construction of you in her head. However, for all your effort, Jody just waves you off and scowls harder, stepping between you and Amelia like a bear protecting her cub. You huff fondly through your exasperation; _“unusually attached to one another”_ indeed.

“What about Runner Five?” Jody asks, and even if the threat wasn’t clear in her stance, it’s obvious from her tone of voice. Amelia’s eyes widen and she laughs, clearly trying to defuse the situation. It’s not a nice sound; it’s dry and grating, rehearsed to sound kind even when it’s not.

“I just mean to say, well... They don’t even know BSL,” Amelia says. She leans to the side to be able to look at you around Jody’s bodyguarding. “Morse is nice in the field and the little… _language_ you Abel folks have put together works fine here, but I’m sure you understand how something more regulated would be desired for precise administration work.”

“ **I know BSL** ,” You sign, in Abel’s sign language, just to be contrary. You’ve been mute since you were a tween, _of course_ you know BSL -- it’s just easier to communicate with people in Abel using the mishmash of field signs, ASL, BSL, and simple charades that they already had in place for Abel sign language when you got here. Amelia blinks blankly at you, obviously not having got it. Abel’s sign language isn’t _hard_ , since it was made to be taught to people who had never had to use sign before, and you’re half sure that Amelia is remaining ignorant of it out of spite. _Well, two can play that_. You tug on Jody’s sleeve, and when she turns around you sign, “ **Tell her that her ‘concerns’ are heard but unnecessary. I’ll do it, I’ll be your head of runners.** ”

Jody grins at you, hugging you so forcefully that she lifts you off the ground (For someone so _small_ , she’s shockingly strong). “You won’t regret this!”

“Won’t regret _what_?” Amelia asks voice cutting through your happy moment, forehead creased like she’s keeping herself from frowning. You remember that Jody still hasn’t translated for her.

“Five’s gonna be our head of runners!” Jody says. She’s excited enough that she’s still grinning at you more than she’s looking at Amelia, so she completely misses the moment that Amelia’s face changes; for a second, millisecond maybe, Amelia’s carefully blank face turns into something sharp, something unhappy -- her eyebrows furrow inward, her mouth pulls up into a sneer, her eyes narrow -- but it’s gone just as quickly as it came, leaving Amelia looking the same as always.

“Oh, how nice.” She says, smiling blandly. Then signs in BSL, “ **We’ll work on your communication issues later**.”

You bare your teeth in an approximation of a smile and reply, also in BSL, “ **I look forward to working with you too, Miss Spens.** ”

You take Jody’s arm and leave while Amelia’s still trying to splutter a response, vindictive smile in place.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so so much for reading! comments, kudos, and bookmarks fuel my soul
> 
> [Main Tumblr (pldubrahs)](http://www.pldubrahs.tumblr.com) | [Writing Tumblr (nacreousglowclouds)](http://nacreousglowclouds.tumblr.com/) | [Personal Twitter (@squidias)](http://twitter.com/squidias)


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